DON VICTORIANO, Misamis Occidental (PIA)--In line with the Provincial Supplementary Feeding Program in addressing the existing hunger and malnutrition among children in the province, the Provincial Nutrition Action Office (PNAO) of Misamis Occidental, as part of their intervention program in partnership with HAPAGASA, provides Manna Pack supplemental feeding to these children.

In the year 2021, HAPAGASA provided 5,000 boxes of MannaPack in the Province and they were distributed to 14 municipalities and 3 cities. Despite the challenges they faced, our Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) dedicate their hearts to reach out by providing nutritious food to children in their locality.

BNSs are our partners in extending the services provided by the PNAO to the different barangays within the province. They were the ones who do the groundwork for the implementation of the nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs.

The Manna Pack was first introduced in the Province of Misamis Occidental in 2015. It was used in supplemental feeding for undernourished children aged 6 months to 5 years old. Pregnant and lactating women were also included in the feeding.

In the locality of Don Victoriano, BNS Andrin Vicenta diligently cooks Manna Pack together with different menus. She said that children in her area tend to get picky in eating Manna Pack Rice, so she decided to make different menus to be paired with the Manna Pack. She often makes Manna Pack varieties of bibingka, puso, lumpia, arrozcaldo, and binignit. The children in her area enjoy the variety of Manna Pack menus she distributes during her feeding. She also makes extra effort in lobbying to her barangay to have additional foods to feed the children, such as chicken barbeque, bihon, adobong manok, humba, and many more. She makes sure that the children under her care receive proper nutrition that would help enhance their overall wellness. Her dedication and passion for her work are truly admirable.

Andrin has been serving as BNS for almost 23 years. She started her journey in community service in the year 1998. According to her, being a BNS is very challenging, especially when it comes to the distribution of vitamins, conducting supplemental feeding, immunization, and growth monitoring due to the distance between households. In particular, she cited that immunization and Operation Timbang Plus activities challenge her.

There are also times when she has extra food in their household, she often gives it to the children so that they would be able to get proper nutrition. Her empathy, love, and devotion for the children made her stay in the service despite the hurdles she encountered.

As she witnessed the rehabilitation and different success stories of her beneficiaries, she feels this sense of happiness and fulfillment on the duty she partakes in the community. (PNAO/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)